Hi Denise, Did the PO have an engine on that mount that worked for propulsion? When you say it's too high, do you mean too high for the 9.9 to fit on it and lower? I'm not sure why you'd need cable controls..wouldn't you just lock it and steer with your ships rudder?

I agree I don't know if I'd lug around the heavy 9.9 ..just in case. But a smaller outboard that could serve a dual purpose of engine back-up and dinghy outboard might be worth considering.

In either case, I'm guessing you're worried about the trans. going in the worst possible place like the C&D canal or some other narrow channel. The transom mount would get you going faster: lower, start and go. Hip towing with a dinghy takes a little time to set up. You might want to think about how to get an anchor out quickly, if you can't sail to safety.

I transit a rock lined inlet and two bridges to get in and out of my marina where there's often swift currents running. Only once in many years did my engine stall in the channel ( before I cleaned the fuel tank). But ever since then I've kept a danforth anchor mounted to my stern rail. I managed to sail back to my slip with the genoa, but it was a rare beam wind and two open bridges that allowed me to do that.